Life Ever After
by Misty515
Summary: Spoilers: set after Mother Rosario: Life moves on for our beloved couple as Asuna copes Yuuki's dealth. Rated M for later Chapter's and Adult Themes. Comments are welcome but please remember this is my First Fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

Kirito

A week has passed since Yuuki's funeral. Asuna has hardly made an appearance online since her death. She has popped in a few times to check on Yui and the house but she never stays long and she always does it right before dinner when she knows she has a time limit.  
I looked at the message I sent her on my phone 3 days again  
Kirito: If you need someone to talk to I am always here for you.  
Asuna: Thank you

As I Walked up the driveway to Asuna's house I slipped my phone into my pocket. My plan was to give her some space to grieve and sort out her feelings and hopefully she would come to me when she was ready. I fear I made a big mistake. I should have showed up at her doorstep days ago, hopefully I am not too late to make things right.  
I knocked on the strong wooden door of her family's mansion. Kyouko answered the door with her expressionless face. "Mr. Krigaya I was wondering how much longer you were going to take to show up hear." She said coldly

Biting my tough I summoned all of my manners and asked if I could please see Asuna. She quietly let me in and I sneaked passed her as quickly as I could. I waited momentarily for directions as I knew she would not allow me into her room.

"She is in the garden. She has not been well since she lost her friend. I'm starting to wonder if I need to take her to talk to someone since she isn't responding much to anyone. All she does is sleep and read. I don't even think she has been online much." Kyouko had some hints of concern for her daughter in her voice and I tried to remind myself that no matter how much Kyouko doesn't like me she still cares for her daughter to some degree.  
"She hasn't hardly been online and even when she is she is very distant to everyone. Thank you Kyouko." I took off towards the garden as quickly as possible.

The garden behind Asuna's house was stunning. The gardeners they hired to tend to it where excellent and grew many kinds of exotic flowers that smelled so vibrant. Walking down the cobblestone path I found Asuna sitting on a large wooden bench under a pavilion surrounded by roses of all different colors. All of the roses where blooming and the smell was very pleasant as you walked past them. As I climbed the steps of the pavilion I could she a river on the other side that Asuna was facing. I came up next to her and sat down on the bench.

"Kirito" she whispered closing her book. Her eyes still fixed onto the river in front of her. There where ducks swirling around on the river's surface but her hazel eyes glazed over as if she saw nothing at all of the beauty that lay in front of her.

"Asuna….. I-I've been worried about you." Finding the right words where so difficult. On the way over I contemplated everything I wanted to say, but now none of it was coming out.

She turned to me slowly with tears in her eyes. "I'm trying so hard to stay strong." She wiped away one of her tears. "But….." the tears started coming faster now and she could no longer keep up with them. "The harder I try to stay strong and move on the more I hurt inside!" She raised her voice and confessed. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry. The words were still not coming to me. Why didn't I come hear sooner?

"Asuna I am so sorry, this is all my fault." I buried my face into her beautiful orange chestnut hair. "Can you forgive me?" 

Asuna took a deep breath in and pulled back. "I am not sorry I met her, if anything I wish I would have met her sooner. I just….. I loved her Krito, I loved her like my sister and now I feel like my heart has a huge piece missing from it. I feel like I am so happy that I met her but she took a piece with her when she left."

I pondered this for a moment. "Have you considered that maybe she left a piece of her heart with you. She loved you too just like a big sister."

Asuna looked down at her book and rubbed the remaining tears out of her eyes. She laughed a little as she said "You know I haven't cried like this since the day she died."

I leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Maybe that's what you needed was to just let everything out. Instead on trying to be strong and holding everything in."

She stared at me for a moment then smiled. "Come on I could use something to eat and there is a new sushi restaurant downtown. Do you mind?" Her smile didn't last long but it felt good to see it even if it was only a moment.

"I would love to take you out." I smiled and helped her up off the bench.

"Do you mind if I go change?" She asked

"Not at all. I'll wait in the living room." I kissed her cheek and she led me down the steps back to her house.


	2. Chapter 2

Asuna

I stared in the mirror in my bedroom for a long time. Yuuki would not want me to dwell on her death, but letting someone go is never easy. I switched into a flowing black skit with a light pink blouse. I grabbed my jacket and my purse as I headed toward the stairs. Kirito was, as he said, in the living room looking out the front window of our house watching the cars go by. He turned towards me as I stepped down from the last step.

"You look beautiful. Are you ready?" He walked towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist kissing my forehead in the process.

I couldn't help but blush. He was always so genital with me. It was hard for me to look in his dark eyes. They looked pained. Was it Yuuki's death that was causing him so much pain or was it me? Maybe it wasn't either. "Yeah I am ready…" I whispered.

He laughed a little bit. "Are you sure your legs aren't going to get cold on my motorcycle. It is a little nippy out tonight." His eyes traveled down to look at my bare legs.

"Humph for your information mister, I will be fine as long as you don't stare at them all night. Maybe I should go cover up!"  
Kirito just laughed. "Ok. Ok. I should have never questioned you. Come on lets go."

Ridding on Kirito's motorcycle…. That was a new experience. I just hope my mother didn't see us leave. I left her a note on the kitchen table telling her where I was and that I would be back by curfew. I had to be back in cram school in two days and I knew she wanted me to stay on a good sleep schedule.

Kirito had given me his helmet. Currently he only has one and this one fits a little weird on me. If I blow out a big breath the shade over my eyes begins to fog up and it's the scariest feeling in the world to not know where you are going on a motor cycle. Good thing Kirito is such a good driver. He just likes to go a little too fast.

When we arrived at the restaurant Kirito helped me off of the motor cycle and hung up my helmet. We were just on the edge of a small market district with very high class clothing stores, a jewelry store and a sporting goods store. Kirito held the door to the restaurant open for me as I walked in.

"Table for two please, somewhere kind of private." I heard Kirito say behind me.

The hostess smiled and picked up some menu's as he walked us to a row of tables in the back of the restaurant. It was still early for dinner so we had the restaurant almost to ourselves.

Kirito pulled out my seat for me and after we got settled we started looking at the menu. We ordered a big boat of sushi and a pot of tea.

"So I got something I need to tell you." Kirito said as he sipped on his tea.

"You finally defeated the squishy squid that gets you every time we go swimming in the Blue Pool?" I smiled at him.

"Hey that's not fair he always gets me first because I dive the deepest." He laughed and tried to hide his shame. The squid gets him every time and usually I come save him but sometimes I let him struggle with it for a little while. "No Asuna this is really important. I got offered a job and a scholarship." Kirito looked sad.

"A scholarship and a job that is wonderful Krito!" Asuna smiled "Where at?"

"Asuna I don't think I can accept it… They want me to move to America." Kirito looked down at his tea. "They gave me a full scholarship at the Phronesis University and a job for a company called Central that works on programing for government projects. Currently they are working on something like the MediCuboid. They want me to be on the development and the testing team. This company has -"

"Kirito… Stop…" I couldn't take it anymore. "Kirito you have to go."

He looked at me dumbfounded. "What. Asuna I can't. I can't go now! I still have one year of high school left I am not ready for college and to move that far away from you. From my Suguha. I c-"

"You will be fine." I cut him off again. "How much did they offer you part-time, full time?"

"They said it would be about 24-36 hours a week plus the full ride and they offered to pay my travel and boarding for the first three months, but I really-"

"Yes. Yes you can." I bit the side of my cheek to keep my emotions in check. This was a big opportunity for Kirito. He's smart, talented, strong, determined and dedicated, no wonder they want him on their team. "When do they want you to leave?" I asked trying to hide the fear in my voice.

"They gave me a month to accept the position. They also gave me some addresses to some apartment complexes that I should look at." Kirito did not look at me. He stared mindlessly into his pot of tea.

I was grateful when the waitress interrupted us with our sushi boat. Thoughts swam around in my mind making me groggy and dizzy. I wanted to go with him, but how…. Could I transfer to the same college? Maybe I should stay here with my parents and go to school here.

"This sushi looks great!" Kirito said with a slight smile on his face.

We both dug into the meal. It felt good to be around him. He slowly started to smile more and loosen up. I tried to focus on the food that was in front of me. However, the longer we laughed, the longer we spent together. I realized what I truly wanted.

****Phronesis Greek for "Wisdom, intelligence, practical wisdom*******


End file.
